Donna Demaio: Australian Correspondent on the country's terror threat level increasing

A lift in the terror threat level in Australia is in response to an increase in extremism, fuelled by conspiracy theories and anti-authority ideologies.  

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed the level is lifting from ‘possible’ to ‘probable’ - meaning there's now a greater than 50% chance of an onshore attack in the next twelve months. 

Australian correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge the Prime Minister is adamant there's no intelligence of an imminent attack, but there is a need for a higher level of preparedness and alertness for agencies and the public.  

The Security Intelligence Service says New Zealand's threat level is low. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Our Australia correspondent this morning, Your terror threat level is up, Donner.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Yes, So, the Prime Minister Anthony Albernesi has revealed that
Australia's national terror threat is now probable as a threat
of violence grows.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
We also heard from.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Asia, which is the nation's peak. Security Intelligence Association says
the chance of a terrorist attack in Australia is now probable.
It's concerned about the rising threat of politically motivated violence.
Now the table of threat levels you might want to
know is at the very bottom, it's deemed not expected,
then possible. We're now on probable. It can also lift

(00:37):
to expected, and then the top of that table is certain.
So there is now deemed a greater than fifty percent
chance of an onshore attack in Australia. Now, the announcement
came as the PM was flanked by the ASIO Director
Mike Burgess and Attorney General Mark Drafers. The PM says
there's no evidence of a specific and immediate attack, but

(00:58):
he does say that also that probable does not actually
mean inevitable, and there's no actual intelligence about an imminent
threat or danger, but there is a need for a
higher level of preparedness for agencies and alertness for the public. Now,
as you know, we've seen a global rise in politically
motivated violence and extremism as that's been put to Australians

(01:21):
as well. So Asio says it's principal security concerns do
now involve the fact that Australia is more volatile and
more unpredictable, and hence this upgrade to the terror threat
being deemed probable. We also heard from the Opposition Peter
Dutton and the leader, i should say, and he said

(01:42):
that all Australians should pay attention about what is happening
in society. We have heard in some way a little
bit sort of calming because Asio also says, you know,
we have to be aware but not afraid. And yet
we hear it not in much detail, but there have
been eight incidents in four months that have been dis
rupted by the agencies. It was either an act of

(02:02):
terrorism or investigated for links to terrorism, and involved some
young people, some as young as fourteen to twenty one
years of age.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
It's hard to know with that language. Don't whether to
be freaked out or not, but it sounds like they're
just being cautious at this time, done a Demayo, our
Australia correspondent. It is eleven away from six for more
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